Analysis of defect related optical transitions in biased AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

The optical transitions in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures that are grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have been investigated in detail by using Hall and room temperature (RT) photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The Hall measurements show that there is two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) conduction at the AlGaN/GaN heterointerface. PL measurements show that in addition to the characteristic near-band edge (BE) transition, there are blue (BL) and yellow luminescence (YL) bands, free-exciton transition (FE), and a neighboring emission band (NEB). To analyze these transitions in detail, the PL measurements were taken under bias where the applied electric field changed from 0 to 50 V/cm. Due to the applied electric field, band bending occurs and NEB separates into two different peaks as an ultraviolet luminescence (UVL) and Y₄ band. Among these bands, only the yellow band is unaffected with the applied electric field. The luminescence intensity change of these bands with an electric field is investigated in detail. As a result, the most probable candidate of the intensity decrease with an increasing electric field is the reduction in the radiative lifetime.     

Determination of Seasonal Changes in Olive Oil by Using Differential Scanning Calorimetry Heating Thermograms

Thermal properties (upon heating) of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) from Aegean cultivars were determined to evaluate the possibility of using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a tool for monitoring seasonal changes in chemical composition. Chemical properties of the samples were analyzed to assess the relationship between the thermal properties and chemical properties as well. The thermal properties of Aegean cultivars were found to be influenced by major components (palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, triolein and palmitodiolein). The melting offset temperature, the temperature range of melting and the melting enthalpy of Aegean cultivars presented significant differences with respect to crop season (p < 0.05). DSC may be utilized to evaluate compositional changes with respect to crop season.     

Electrical characteristics of Au/<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-GaAs structures with thin and thick SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> dielectric layer

The aim of this study, to explain effects of the SiO₂ insulator layer thickness on the electrical properties of Au/n-GaAs Shottky barrier diodes (SBDs). Thin (60 Å) and thick (250 Å) SiO₂ insulator layers were deposited on n-type GaAs substrates using the plasma enganced chemical vapour deposition technique. The current-voltage (I–V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics have been carried out at room temperature. The main electrical parameters, such as ideality factor (n), zero-bias barrier height (? _Bo ), series resistance (R _s ), leakage current, and interface states (N _ss ) for Au/SiO₂/n-GaAs SBDs have been investigated. Surface morphologies of the SiO₂ dielectric layer was analyzed using atomic force microscopy. The results show that SiO₂ insulator layer thickness very affects the main electrical parameters. Au/n-GaAs SBDs with thick SiO₂ insulator layer have low leakage current level, small ideality factor, and low interface states. Thus, Au/n-GaAs SBDs with thick SiO₂ insulator layer shows better diode characteristics than other.     

Toxin production by Alternaria alternata in tomatoes and apples stored under various conditions and quantitation of the toxins by high-performance liquid chromatography

Alternaria alternata strain 8442-3 was inoculated into tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and Red Delicious cultivar apples (Malus domestica Borkh.). Half of the lots of each fruit were shrink-wrapped in high-density polyethylene film. Wrapped and unwrapped fruits were incubated under darkness at 4, 15 and 25 degrees C for up to 5 weeks. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed to quantitate tenuazonic acid (TeA), alternariol (AOH), alternariol methyl ether (AME), and altenuene (ALT). Shrink-wrapping retarded, but did not completely inhibit growth in tomatoes for 3-7 days. Concentrations of up to 120.6 mg of AOH and 63.7 mg of AME per 100 g of tissue were produced in unwrapped tomatoes stored at 15 degrees C for 4 weeks; 19.0 mg of ALT per 100 g of tomato tissue was produced after 3 weeks at 25 degrees C. AOH, AME and ALT were also produced in unwrapped tomatoes stored at 4 degrees C; however, no TeA was detected in decayed tomatoes, regardless of type of wrapping or storage temperature. Shrink-wrapping resulted in decreased production of AOH, AME, and ALT. Alternaria toxins were not detected in apples stored at 4 and 15 degrees C. The highest concentration of AOH produced (48.8 mg per 100 g of tissue) was in unwrapped apples stored at 25 degrees C for 2 weeks; 12.3 mg per 100 g of tissue of shrink-wrapped apples was detected after 5 weeks of storage at 25 degrees C, while ALT reached 5.7 mg per 100 g after 4 weeks. TeA was not detected in apples infected with A. alternata.     

Investigation of the wetting behavior of coal tar in three phase systems and its modification by poloxamine block copolymeric surfactants

The removal of dense nonaqueous phase liquid mixtures (DNAPLs) from rocks and subsurface soils is an ongoing remedial challenge. Very often the wetting preferences of the system are not altered by exposure to the DNAPL. However, there are systems where the wetting properties of the solid phase have been altered from strongly water wetting by exposure to the DNAPL. In these cases some technique is necessary for reducing the work of adhesion between the DNAPL and the mineral surface. The focus of this report is the problems posed by coal tar in unconsolidated sands. It is shown that coal tar can alter the wetting properties of quartz, the principal component of sands, and is thus capable of adhering to the surface. In this investigation the ability of several members of the poloxamine family of polymeric surfactants to aid in the removal of coal tar from sand was evaluated. The poloxamines are tetrafunctional block copolymeric surfactants, which contain four poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide) chains joined to a central ethylenediamine moiety via the nitrogen atoms. Contact angle measurements of coal tar on a quartz surface immersed in aqueous surfactant solution and the interfacial tension between coal tar and aqueous surfactant solution have been measured. Coal tar/water interfacial tensions are reduced to values in the region of 2 mN m(-1) at surfactant concentrations of approximately 0.1 w/v %. Poloxamine surfactant impact on the static contact angle is more complex. In some cases the polymeric surfactants alter the wetting behavior from strongly water wetting to weakly water wetting. However, other poloxamines appear to have little if any impact on the contact angle, which remains strongly water wetting. The foregoing measurements have then been used to calculate the work of adhesion of the coal tar to quartz and the results qualitatively compared with the concentration of surfactant solution required to visually demonstrate the complete de-adhesion of coal tar to the quartz. It is shown that at surfactant concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the surfactant, the work of adhesion can be reduced sufficiently to ensure complete removal of coal tar from both quartz and sand.     

Grain boundary related electrical transport in Al-rich Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ga<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>N layers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Electrical transport data for Al-rich AlGaN layers grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) are presented and analyzed in the temperature range 135–300 K. The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity indicated that conductivity in the films was controlled by potential barriers caused by carrier depletion at grain boundaries in the material. The Seto’s grain boundary model provided a complete framework for understanding of the conductivity behavior. Various electrical parameters of the present samples such as grain boundary potential, donor concentration, surface trap density, and Debye screening length were extracted.     

Do business process reengineering projects payoff? Evidence from the United States

This paper examines whether implementation of business process reengineering (BPR) projects improve firm performance by analyzing a comprehensive data set on large firms in the United States. The performance measures utilized in the paper are labor productivity, return on assets, and return on equity. We show that firm performance increases after the BPR projects are finalized, while it remains unaffected during execution. We also find that functionally focused BPR projects on average contribute more to performance than those with a broader cross-functional scope. This may be an indication that potential failure risk of BPR projects may increase beyond a certain level of scope.     

Some remarkable properties of diagonally correlated MIMO channels

This paper investigates so-called diagonally correlated multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) channels, which provide higher ergodic capacity than independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) fading channels. The presented analysis details physical scenarios leading to such channels, some properties of the channel matrix, and an analytical expression for its ergodic capacity.